(ARA) – Snow, ice, freezing temperatures and other elements of winter are not far off. You’ve enjoyed your backyard all summer long, but now it’s time to get everything prepped to handle the upcoming cold weather.
Preparing your lawn, shrubbery and gardens for the winter months can help ensure you’ll be able to enjoy your landscaping as soon as the temperatures warm next spring. By renting the right equipment to successfully handle those jobs, you’ll save time and free up space for all of your home beautification projects.
* Tree trimming and planting – The fall months offer the perfect opportunity to plant and trim trees. If you’re planting, make sure to give the new trees plenty of water in the weeks leading up to the first hard frost. Also, make sure your established trees receive a good supply of water, especially if the end-of-summer weather has been hot and dry.
Tree trimming allows you to remove dead branches and limbs, as well as growth that may be blocking your patio, sidewalk and driveway, or hanging over the roof of your house. If the tree is quite large in size, consider renting a tree trimmer to reach the high branches. When you’re done, rent a wood chipper to make mulch for next year’s garden with the branches and limbs you’ve trimmed. A brush cutter can help clear away ground clutter.
* Give your lawn some life with lawn aeration and dethatching. If your lawn is showing signs of runoff and thinning, it can mean the dirt is very compacted, and needs aeration to allow water and nutrients in. Aerator rental is an option to perforate your lawn with small holes, giving the grass a chance to refresh and thicken prior to the winter freeze. This will help give your lawn a beautiful green look next season.
Dethatching is another lawn care option to help your lawn grow thick and lush come spring. Roots, dead stems and clippings often get trapped between the soil and the green vegetation, blocking the soil from receiving water and nutrients. Stop at your local rental store for a thatcher, which will slice through the dead materials, lifting them up and out of the way. The American Rental Association’s RentalHQ.com helps you to quickly and easily find the nearest rental store to you.
* Prep your gardens – both floral and vegetable – to help minimize the work you’ll have to do in the spring. Remove all the dead plants, and turn over the soil using a rototiller from your local rental store, adding a layer of natural fertilizer like leaf clippings, grass clippings or compost. Don’t make the layer too thick. These materials will help provide some additional nutrients to the soil as they break down over the winter months.
Fall is a great time to plant bulbs for early spring flower decorations. Cultivate the soil by churning it up and adding a bit of compost or other fertilizer. Plant the bulb, water it and mark it so you don’t accidentally dig it up early in the spring while preparing your garden for another season of growing.
Renting lawn and garden equipment washes away the worry of having to maintain and store it, leaving more room in your basement, garage and garden shed, and affording you more time to enjoy your backyard and peruse gardening catalogs and magazines as winter arrives and you dream for the first sign of spring.
To get started with your projects now, visit RentalHQ.com to find a location in your area to get all of the equipment you’ll need.
